Time Sifters Archaeology Society Newsletter March 2021

MARCH-2021 PRESERVATION  EDUCATION  RESEARCH  INSPIRE Dear Member: The Spring season will be presented on ZOOM. The Selby Library will not be available before the Fall (maybe). This month we are proud to present all the way from the University of California, Rebecca Davis who is going to talk to us about “French Colonial Plantations in St. Dominque”. Please don’t forget to pay your dues, they help us to continue to bring you exciting speakers and programs. Thank you for being a Time Sifters member. Darwin “Smitty” Smith, President [email protected] March 17 - at 6:00 PM – ZOOM. Walking Through French Colonial Plantation Landscapes: Navigating the Sugar & Coffee Plantations of Pre-Revolutionary St. Dominque Rebecca Davis UCSC PhD Student University of California, Santa Clarita Rebecca Davis will discuss adaptation, and survival strategies ideological elements of plantation of Enslaved individuals trapped landscapes present in in those plantation landscapes. Pre-Revolutionary St. Dominque, their physical manifestations, and The analysis of plantation how both the Enslaved and Euro- landscapes offers the opportunity to American inhabitants would have understand the landscape's walked through and manipulated development and function for their \"space,\" in addition to creating a both its Enslaved and Euro- sense of \"place.\" American inhabitants. The Euro-American colonial experience is well documented both historically and archaeologically, often presenting a clear understanding of various motivations for creating the plantation landscape. However, these records also reveal ingenuity, Instructions for real time viewing: Go to www.zoom.com Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0of-2uqDMrE9RCgWJrbKb5Xmv11O_QGEFQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Notes from a Time Sifter TV Time with Archaeology During Covid Isolation By Evelyn Mangie - Time Sifters Board Member TV has become a favorite way to blond, female who lived between The Tomb pass the time during this long, 1390-1370 BCE. The find is now of the lonely time of isolation. A little in the National Museum of Denmark Scythian searching on the boob tube will in Copenhagen where studies Prince. A find some interesting archaeology have continued since its arrival. 2017 documentary of an interna- documentaries on Amazon Prime. The documentary discusses the tional team of French, Italian, and Go to “search”, type in “archaeology” modern study of the artifacts that Kazahkan archaeologists excavating and hundreds of offerings will appear. show the girl was not indigenous to on a 2000-year-old Scythian kurgan Most are free, some are new films, the area. Interesting study with good (tomb) to uncover the remains of a and some are repeats of earlier photography that brings her to life. man who died in 294 BCE. A presentations on PBS and the woman and several horses with History Channel. Some are done Mystery Beneath. British their trappings were buried with well and are worth watching but documentary of treasure hunters him. The film follows the artifacts others are poorly done, and even who discover a strange object from their removal from the frozen contain false information. The 300’ below the surface of the Baltic ground to the climate-controlled following are tips to help you choose. Sea. Don’t waste your time on this one. lab where research could be done. There, they discovered that the The Lost City of the Urartu, the man was in his 40s, was a decorated Cloud People follows a Forgotten warrior (shown by the fabulous German archaeologist Kingdom artifacts buried with him). The up 4000 meters into the Review of the woman was probably his mother mountains of Peru in evidence for the who died later and was interned search of information kingdom that sometime after his death. Lots of about the little-known was first discovered 200 years beautiful artifacts, the film is well-done. Chachapoya people who lived ago. Its history has not been Secrets of the between 1000 and 1450 CE in the studied as much as the other Dead: The Lost forested region on the eastern Near Eastern empires even Gardens of slopes of the Andes mountains. though Urartu played a major Babylon. This Not bad, but no new discoveries. role in the ancient period (they 2014 PBS film conquered 22 powerful Assyrian follows historian The Kingdom of the Nabateans cities in 715 BCE). This study Stephanie Dalley of Oxford Two French archaeologists explore was done by Armenian scholars University as she searches for and discuss the camel caravan whose pride in their history is evidence of the legendary empire that once stretched from evident. Interesting and reasonably “hanging gardens of Babylon.” She the city of Hegra in the western believable. uses written evidence, satellite photos, Arabia peninsula, north across and the biology of plants as she the desert and through Tigris and The Curse of travels from the British Museum Euphrates valley to Damascus. They the Axe - to the Tigris and Euphrates valley focus on Hegra (modern Mada'in Rewriting (ancient Assyria) to find on-site Saleh) instead of the better-known American evidence. She believes that the Nabataean capital city, Petra, because History. This fabulous garden did exist but was Hegra is better preserved and clearly 2015 documentary discusses the built by Sennacherib (722-705 shows the international influence discovery of a Huron village near BCE), not King Nebuchadnezzar in the Greco-Roman, Egyptian, Toronto, Canada. There, (627-562 BCE), and was in ancient and Mesopotamian architectural archaeologists excavated the Nineveh, not in Babylon. She styles. Good film and worth watching. largest number of artifacts explains her ideas well but admits (2,000,000) ever found at one that more evidence is necessary. The Egtved Girl: site. One of those objects is an Interesting, but suffers from Life of a Bronze Age iron axe head that dates to at restrictions to sites (it’s a war zone). Teenager. Research least 500 years before the Europeans Or you can go to Netflix to watch on the contents of an arrived. They claim that this object “The Dig”, a great feel-good story ancient oak coffin in reveals contact between North that is based on a real 1939 Egtved, Denmark in American people with Europeans excavation of a Viking burial in 1921 CE as long before Columbus, and they England. Be sure to read the reconstructed image construction spend a whole hour doing that. credits at the end! They may be right, but they probably crews were building a road. In the could have done it in 15 minutes. coffin were the hair, brain tissue, teeth, nails, and skin of a, 5’2”

Get involved ... Invitation to participate in a survey about NAGPRA By Sherry Svekis, Vice President, Time Sifters What is NAGPRA? “Native descendants, Indian Tribes, and communities for her thesis. American Graves Protection Native Hawaiian organizations.” Ms. Tarantini contacted Time and Repatriation Act” https://www.nps.gov/ Sifters about distributing a survey subjects/nagpra/index.htm on this subject; Dr. Laura From the National Park Service: Harrison, a Time Sifters board “Since 1990, Federal law has provided For a beautifully written book member, reviewed the research for the repatriation and disposition of on the subject: “Plundered design and the board okayed certain Native American human Skulls and Stolen Spirits” by sharing it. Your voluntary and remains, funerary objects, sacred Chip Colwell confidential participation in this objects, and objects of cultural What is the survey? approximately 10 minute survey patrimony. By enacting NAGPRA, will contribute to her research. Congress recognized that human Emily Tarantini, a graduate remains of any ancestry \"must at student in the Museum & Field Please click the link below to all times be treated with dignity Studies M.S. program at the participate in the survey. and respect.\" Congress also University of Colorado, Boulder, (If you received a paper or pdf acknowledged that human remains is conducting research about copy of the newsletter and and other cultural items removed voluntary return of private would like to participate, email from Federal or tribal lands belong, in collection objects between private [email protected] for the link.) the first instance, to lineal individuals and Native American Link to survey: https://proxy.qualtrics.com/proxy/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcuboulder.qualtrics.com%2Fjfe% 2Fform%2FSV_2365Fcr7f9OTTiR&token=VnrqX14x4TmdqZ%2ByfkAqC3cWvn1nvKa8ICdkXcjHf%2FI%3D Photos: Ksut.org, Penn Museum, National Park Service, heritage coalitition.org, dos.myflorida.com.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the dining room floor was dedicated to the goddess Diana, goddess of #836 - Volubilis, Morocco the hunt. But these houses also supplied evidence of Roman engineering genius. by: Dr. Steven Derfler, Time Sifters Member In the large private The Roman city of Volubilis, in villas, the best of Roman technology Morocco, is situated about 18.5 could be seen as miles SW of Fez. In 1997 the site was listed as a UNESCO World a response to the seismic activity Heritage site, stating that it is \"an of the region. exceptionally well preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Empire”. It was the administrative center of the province in Roman Africa called Mauretania Tingitana. It was abandoned in 285 CE. It Photo: Pinterest appears to have been destroyed by an earthquake in the late 4th Century CE. Later, Volubilis' structures were damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, while in the 18th century part of the marble Photo: Smitty was taken for construction in Photo: Barbara Blanchard Inserted between the the nearby town of Meknes. column bases and the columns themselves In 1915, archaeological Photo: Smitty were inch-thick pads of excavation was begun lead. The Romans appreci- by the French and ated the softness of lead. continued into the Photo: Jean-Jacques Gelbart 1920s. Excavations Dozens of shops So they installed these pads to started again in 2000. then flanked the serve as shock-absorbers for the Under the Romans, the street. The Arch columns. Any slight tremor would city was about 100 acres of Caracalla, be offset by the soft lead pad and dated to 217 CE, the way that it “soaked up” the in size and consisted of the vibration, preventing the column older, core city and a marks the point at “suburb” expansion. which the old and new from collapsing and thus destroying Most of the city's public city suburbs merge. the house. The wealth of the city Finally, several bathhouses buildings were constructed were scattered around the city. in the older part of the is indicated via the city. The stunning villa- excavation of many of The Thermes of Gallien was the style houses for which its villas belonging to largest at over 3000 square feet. All of the elements of Roman Volubilis is famous are Photo: Barbara Blanchard wealthy merchants. in the newer part, For example, House of bathing luxury were found in each behind the Decumanus Maximus Four Seasons was so named due complex - the Apoditerium or (main street), which bisected the to the central mosaic subject matter. changing room; the Fridgiderium Roman-era part of the city. Beneath One beautiful mosaic “carpet” or cold room; the Tepidarium or its pavement was a sewage/water had four medallions installed in warm room; and the Calderium or disposal system that ran out of the corners- each dedicated to Hypocaust that served as the the city under the Tingis Gate to one of the goddesses of the four steam room. the north. The Decumanus also seasons. (No, not Frankie Valli’s had sidewalks on either side, boys!) Yet other rooms were as All in all, this border outpost was nearly as luxurious as the Empire’s capital, Rome. lined with arcaded porticoes. lavishly decorated. The mosaic Board of Officers: Lifetime: $350 Pay online at: Directors Darwin \"Smitty\" Smith, President Individual: $25 WWW.TimeSifters.org Sherry Svekis, Vice President Family: $35 Or mail checks to: Mary S. Maisel, Secretary Student: $10 Time Sifters, Inc. Laura Harrison, Treasurer Supporting $50 PO Box 5283 Karen Jensen, Membership Sarasota, FL. 34277 Marion Almy Jean Louise Lammie Evelyn Mangie Don Nelson Copyright © 2021 Time SiftersArchaeology Society,Inc., All rights reserved.